Observations on the exploration and external neurolysis of injured inferior alveolar nerves

The inferior alveolar nerve is sometimes injured during mandibular surgery, resulting in altered sensibility. Incomplete recovery may be the result of nerve entrapment by scar tissue. Twelve patients underwent external neurolysis of the inferior alveolar nerve following prolonged sensory impairment secondary to mandibular surgery. The mean time to external neurolysis was 14 months (range 12-24 months). Five patients demonstrated improvement in sensibility, two patients returning to normal sensation. No patient had a worsening of symptoms. The results demonstrate that external neurolysis can be a useful step during surgical exploration in carefully selected patients.